No, it’s not because of the 2025/26 tax year starting, but more likely because of the two weeks off to celebrate the Easter holidays.
While time to enjoy the sunshine outside the confines of school might be great for them, that free time needs to be filled by parents to ensure they are suitably entertained and fed.
Thankfully, you do not need to hunt too far to find an Easter deal, with a range of nationwide, family-friendly restaurants offering great value.
To combat the impact of the ‘Awful April’ price hikes, here is YourMoney.com‘s pick of the best around this half term:
Bill’s
Up to two children under 16 can eat for free all day from Monday 7 April to Friday 25 April at Bill’s when an adult orders any main dish at breakfast, lunch or dinner time.
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The deal excludes meals on Saturday and Sunday, and the menu is full of family favourites, including fish fingers and chips and pancakes.
With stacked pancakes starting at £9.50, you could easily feed three of you for under £15 (if you wanted a drink too).
Hungry Horse
Over the weekends of 12-13 and 19-20 April at 9am, 9.15am and 9.30am, the Easter Bunny will be making its way to Hungry Horse pubs.
For £8.99, kids can enjoy a breakfast, Easter egg and a surprise gift.
On top of that, there are bunny-shaped pancakes on the menu as well as standard breakfast choices for adults.
The pub chain also has a deal on Sunday 13 and Sunday 20 April, when a family of four can enjoy classic pub food and a sharer dessert for £20.
Brewers Fayre
Another pub chain providing a special deal for the family this Easter is Brewers Fayre.
A family of four can dine for just £15 with a selection of main dishes for both kids and parents. There is an array of pub classics and healthy options available for children, which the eatery ensures contain two of their five a day.
With mains starting at an adult-sized lasagne starting at £10.89, you could save almost half of what you’d usually pay.
The deal needs to be split between two adults and two children and is available Monday to Friday between 12 and 6pm from 8 to 25 April. If you have more children who need feeding, you can do so for just £2.99 extra.
Prezzo
From Good Friday to Easter Sunday, Prezzo is offering a two-course set menu, including lobster ravioli, pasta alla vodka and “a decadent” hot chocolate fudge cake for just £20. For an extra fiver, you can enjoy three courses with the Italian chain.
You could take advantage of that meal with your children, as they eat for free until 27 April. This is for kids aged up to 12 and covers three courses of its kids’ menu, when an adult purchases a meal there.
This could be perfect for a large group, as it covers up to 12 customers per table.
You’ll need to claim a code before showing that to the server at the restaurant.
Frankie and Benny’s
Children can also eat for free at Frankie and Benny’s until 27 April on every day of the week. Options include a main, side, drink and dessert all on the house.
This offer is available for a table of up to six diners, while the brunch and lunch special menus are excluded.
Two restaurants in Central London (Covent Garden and Paddington) are not part of the freebie.
To claim it, you’ll need to let the server in the restaurant know when you are ordering your food to redeem the offer.
Sainsbury’s
If you’d prefer to cook at home, Sainsbury’s has launched a hefty discount for Nectar Card holders on classic Easter centrepieces.
The supermarket is knocking up to 50% off its own brand and Taste the Difference selection of feasts until 22 April.
The Nectar card discounts can be found in the retailer’s supermarkets and not in the smaller Sainsbury’s local stores.
Those offers include:
- Salmon side – £12.50/kg with Nectar (£25/kg without Nectar)
- A 21 Day Matured Beef Joint with Nectar – £7.50/ kg with Nectar (£15/kg without Nectar)
- Unsmoked British Large Gammon Joint 2.3kg – £9.33 with Nectar (£14 without Nectar)
- Large Pork Loin Joint – £5/kg with Nectar (£7.50/kg without Nectar)
- Taste the Difference Pork Shoulder Joint – £5.32/kg with Nectar (£8/kg without Nectar)
- Smoked British Large Gammon Joint 2.3kg – £9.33 with Nectar (£14 without Nectar)
Argos
Away from food, if you wanted to set up some outdoor activities while the sun is around, Argos has 25% off selected camping gear and up to half price off toys and games.
As well as staying active, there is also a third off its BBQs and outdoor living range.
Here is a pick of the discounts from the retailer this Easter:
- Pro Action 4 Person 1 Room Dome Camping Tent with Porch – RRP £60, now £45
- Opti Ball, Pump and 3 x 4ft Pop Up Football Goal – Set of 2 – RRP £30, now £15
- Chad Valley Tennis, Volley Ball and Badminton Set – RRP £25, now £12.50
- Campingaz Party Grill 400CV Camping Stove – RRP £140, now £105
- Hy-Pro Rounders Set – RRP £18, now £13
